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Mickelson comes unstuck with tough pin placements
Phil Mickelson, a strong contender for this week's U.S. Masters, bemoaned Augusta National's tough pin positions after carding a level-par 72 in Thursday's first round.
The left-handed American, widely regarded as the best current player yet to win a major, had moved to two under after 15 holes before losing momentum with a double-bogey at the par-three 16th.
"I had a chance to shoot 67 or 68 today, but I just didn't birdie the par fives," the 33-year-old told reporters.
"I played the par fives well but the only one I could birdie was number two.
"There were a lot of tough pins out there -- Sunday pins. I felt I was playing for pars all day."
The former world number two arrived at Augusta this week at the head of the PGA Tour money list for the first time in six years.
Winner of the Bob Hope Classic in January, he has produced seven top-10 finishes in eight 2004 starts and was upbeat about his chances in the first of the year's four majors.
"I think what's been nice is that I've played well week in and week out...which is something I certainly didn't do last year," he said.
However challenging pin positions on a damp and overcast day at Augusta made a significant difference for the attack-minded Californian.
"The difficulty today was there was a penalty for a perfectly struck shot," added Mickelson, who has finished third in his last three Masters starts. "It is just part of the course."
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